When pitching and hitting aligns, you get a game like this.
Today’s game was brought to you by old friends, with former Tigers’ pitcher Tyler Alexander on the bump for the Brewers and former Tigers’ catcher Eric Haase on the bench (and appearing later on in the eighth). The Tigers were enthused for another Tarik Skubal outing and he did not disappoint. They were helped by an abysmal Brewers defense, but everything counts.
In the first, Gleyber Torres took a one-out walk. Then Andy Ibanez doubled, bringing in the first run of the game for the Tigers. Dillon Dingler got a two-out double to score Ibanez, and the Tigers were up 2-0 in the first. In an efficient ten-pitch outing, Skubal took the Brewers out 1-2-3.
Javier Baez started the second with a walk. Then Ryan Kreidler hit into what should have been a fielder’s choice, but a Joey Ortiz fielding error allowed both runners to stay safely aboard.
Kreidler was eliminated on a force out off the bat of Zach McKinstry, then Justyn-Henry Malloy got a one-out single to score Baez. Torres grounded out to score McKinstry. There was a brief onfield pause because Torres nailed Alexander with a comebacker, but Alexander stayed in the game to wrap up the inning (and get hit a second time in the same inning).
Bottom of the second, Skubal once again only needed ten pitches to get through the Brewers order.
In the top of the third the Tigers were three-up, three-down, but they were just saving it for the fourth (spoiler alert). In the bottom of the inning the Brewers did the same.
Things went off the rails for the Brewers defense in the fourth and the Tigers weren’t wasting the opportunity. Baez singled to start things off with a ball that bounced off first base, a sign of things to come. Kreidler hit a sacrifice bunt, but a throwing error from Alexander meant that both Baez and Kreidler were safe, and both in scoring position. Malloy got a one-out walk, then a Torres single scored two runs.
Ibanez singled to score Malloy, then Torkelson hit a sac fly to score Torres. The Tigers were up 8-0 at the halfway point of the fourth inning. Skubal, who had only needed ten pitches each of the first three innings, came off a nice long break and he was slacking because it took him eleven pitches to retire the side in the fourth.
Elvin Rodriguez replaced Alexander for the top of the fifth and gave up a leadoff home run to Kerry Carpenter.
Kreidler got a one-out single, but the Tigers would have to settle for just the one run. In the bottom of the fifth the Brewers got a little something going.
Rhys Hoskins singled for the first baserunner of the day for Milwaukee, but three outs (and some outstanding base moves from Tarik Skubal’s defense) got the next three outs in a row. The Tigers were 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning.
In the sixth, Brice Turang hit a one-out single, then Jackson Chourio singled. Skubal almost beheaded Isaac Collins with an inside pitch, but that was as close as out of control as we were going to see.
Skubal was just dominant in this outing, the stuff was so, so good, and he was throwing it at higher speeds than usual. William Contreras singled to load things up with two outs, putting
Skubal in a high-tension position to get out of the jam, and he sure did, getting the last strikeout of the inning at 100mph and a classic Skubal Rage face. Love it.
Kerry Carpenter got a one-out single in the seventh, but was the Tigers’ only baserunner. In the bottom of the inning, Skubal was out for one more round and made it count, going 1-2-3 through the order one more time. His final line for the day was 7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 K, on 91 pitches, and he’s got to be happy about his shrinking ERA.
The Tigers went down in order in the top of the eighth and then for the bottom of the inning Kenta Maeda came in out of the pen in relief and got through it without any issues.
The Tigers couldn’t add to their lead in the top of the ninth, going 1-2-3. Maeda stayed on in the ninth, and with two outs Hoskins was hit by a pitch. Fans barking that the hit was intentional have clearly never seen Maeda pitch multiple innings. Hoskins advanced to second on defensive indifference. Sal Frelick walked. Ortiz singled to score Hoskins, and then, before things could get too tense, a flyout ended the inning.
Final: Tigers 9, Brewers 1